Cross-tie chain fabric for bed-springs.



s. B. SMITH.

CROSS TIE CHAIN FABRIC FOR BED SPRINGS.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20,1917.

Patented Nov. 20, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- amnoqo,

. GARY nsivrrrn, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CROSS-TIE "oHAiN FABRIC FOR BED-SPRINGS.

' Specification of Letters Patent. 7 i Pa't tQJN 2T0,

Application filed February 20, I917. Serial No. 149,941.

To allm'ho'm it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARY TB; SMrrrna citizen of the United States, residin vat Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented" a new and useful Cross-Tie ChainF'abric for Bed-Springs, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention "appertains generally to bed spring fabrics, and is particularly an improvement over the interlocking hook for wire fabric disclosed in my Patent No. 933,130 granted September 7, 1909.

It has been found that the fabric disclosed in said patent possesses certain disadvantages, in that first,the cross ties cannot be made in continuouschains, since the close ties or links are not interlocked; second-,the fabric becomes tangled when handled free from the frame or supporting means; and third, the liability of the cross ties or links givingway when subjected to excessive or abnormal strains. These are themain objections to the fabric disclosed in said patent, but there are other incidental ones.

It is the object of this invention to pr-ovide novel means for assembling the cross ties or links'with one another-and with the strands, whereby 'the above-mentioned and other objections are" overcome. 'Thnsthe cross ties or links can be made incontin'uous chains which can be wound npon spools, for "the purposeof assembling the ties or links easily and quickly'with the strand or strands. y

The present construction also "eliminates the ta'nglin'g'of the fabric'when handled free of the frame or supporting means, in shipping, etc. also telescopically or sl'ida'bly connected with each other, and are prevented "from sliding into engagementwith any of :the' strands except those with which the ties or links are assembled, thus avoiding tangling. and furthermore, this provides for the effective'depression of the strands at any point of the fabric-withoutpulling-or displacing the strands "at other portionstof the fabriqin order that persons of dines-eat weights can rest comfortably upon the-tabs ric. This action o'fithe-fabrieis enhanced by re'a-senfl of thefact tha't the'icross ties or links are-longer than the spaces between the st'rzmds. The-cross ties "oi-links fare-so constructed that they interlock and are prevented from embedding-orbeingdisengaged':

The cross tie's or-links are from thestrands by the excessive separation of the strands or the excessive or abnormal strains on the cross chains. In fact, the excessive tensile: strain on the: chains will even more tightly clench'or lock the cross; ties or links onthe strands. thus enabling bination and arrangement of'parts and-in,

the details of construction hereinafter describedand claimed, it 1 being understood that changes in the precise embodimentwof the invention herein disclosed can he made Withinth'e scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the 'invention. The: invention is illustrated in the :accom-' panying drawings, wherein 1 F'gure' 1 is a lan'viewbtthe improved fabric; portions-being broken away.

Fig. 2 i'sxarsectionxon the line: 2 '2' or Fin. 1. Fig. 3 isv a on' the. spool-1 before: assemblage with the strands.

Fig; 4 .is sea-lean detail illustrating new the'cr'oss ties or links of each' 'pairinterlock when there is a-pullin "opposite directions upon them.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1' illustran in ea modification. The fabric embodies substantially paral: lel strands 1. disposed side byside 'andextending.longitudinally,'asseenin Fig. 1, and theirrends :are connected by means of coiled wire springs; 2 or otherwise with thefraifne' or supporting means. As illustrated," the strands 1 rarecomposed of one piece of cable or twisted c, wire extending: backand forth from "one end to" the" "other, "ail-thoughaj'tlie strands may'begoian suitable formation 1;

fr'a,' ;mental 1 persp'ective view) neof one of the chains a's 1t comesfro'm the. machine "WhI'Ch' makes it, and :as it as Wound The invention resides in the construction of the cross chains and the manner of assembling the links thereof with each other and with the strands. There are a plurality ofthese cross chains spaced longitudinally and extending transversely across the strands. Each chain comprises a series of cross ties or links 3, each formed of a length of wire doubled upon itself to provide the.

members t diverging away from one another from the ends of the wire, and connected at their ends which are spaced tarthest apart by a U-shaped loop 5. This loop 5 is bent at an obtuse angle from the plane of the members 4 or the plane of the body of the link, the loop being located at one end of the link and constituting the intermediate portion of the wire, while the ends of the wire are bent back toward the same side toward which the loop 5 is bent, thereby providing the hook 6 at the other end of the link and from which the members 4 diverge. When the chain is manufactured and wound upon the spool, preparatory to assemblage with the strands 1, the loops 5 are seated in the hooks 6, as seen in Fig. 8, thereby providing a continuous chain which can be readily manufactured,'spooled and assembled with the strands, instead of merely handling the cross ties or links individually. it will be noted that the loops 5 are not bent back into hook form, as in said patent, thereby providing a saving in material.

I When the chains are assembled with the strands, each cross tie or link 3 extends across and rests upon two adjacent strands, and the hook 6 of each link engages under and is clenched tightly into engagement with the respective strand, so that the hook pro jects upwardly in an inclined direction or at any acute angle toward the members 4-, the link therefore being held in place relative to the strand to which it is clenched. Each link is thus clenched to one strand and the members 4 thereof rest slidably upon the companion or adjacent strand at opposite sides of the respective end of the companion link and its hook 6, with the loop 5 extending loosely under and slidably engaging said companion link beyond its hook 6, as seen in Fig. 2. Each link is longer than the space between the respective strands, whereby its loop 5 slides under the companion link to and from its hook 6, which enables the strands to move toward and away from one another to a limited amount. lhis permits the fabric to be depressed at various points in an efi'cctive manner. Supposing that'one or more strands are depressed at one point of the fabric, these strands can separate, since the links can separate a certain amount due to their sliding or telescopic connection, without pulling the strands at other portions of the fabric out of place, unless the depression of the tabrio arness is excessive or abnormal. The links thus rest slidablyupon the strands at the free or looped ends of the links, the other ends of the links being clenched to the respective strands, and the free ends of the links have the loops engaging slidably under the companion links, whereby the links are interlocked. It will be noted, however, that the loop 5 at one end of each chain is bent back into a hook to embrace the respective strand 1, in order to attach the corresponding end of the chain or anchor it to the side strand.

By reason of the present assemblage of the links with each other and with the strands, it will be observed that when there is an excessive separation of the strands and links, so as to produce an excessive or abnormal tensile strain on the cross chain, the loops 5 will be slid under and in engagement with the clenched hooks 6, as seen in Fig. i, and said loops also bear against the respective strands 1, whereby when the links of each pair separate, as seen in Fig. l, the looped end of one link will resist the unbending of the corresponding hook 6. This is due to the fact that the loop 5 will engage the hook 6 with a cam action, and clamp or hold said hook 6 in closed position, and in fact, the greater the strain is, the tighter will the hook 6 be held closed, thus successfully resisting the unbending of the hook or the excessive separation of the strands and links. Thus, although when the loops 5 slidably engage the companion links, and move away from the books 6 when the strands are in normal position, yet when the strands and links areseparated a certain amount, the loops will move in engagement with the hooks and strands to hold the parts assembled and to resist the tearing apart of the strands and cross ties or links. it will also be noted that in handling the fabric free from its frame or supporting means, each link 3 can only slide a certain amount on its companion link, since when the loop of one link moves a certain distance toward the loop 5 of the companion link, the movement or the two links toward one another is stopped, due to the angular position of the members l, each link increasing in width from its hooked end to its looped end. Consequently, when two links are moved toward one another in telescopic relation, the members l of one link will wedge within the loop 5 and members l of the other member thereby limiting their movement, and this eliminates the tangling or" the fabric. Tangling is also avoided due to the fact that the loops 5 are not bent into hook form, as in the fabric disclosed in said patent.

As above indicated, the chains can be dis posed longitudinally, and this is'illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the chains are connected at their ends with the springs 2, while the strands 1 are disposed transversely. The in terlocking feature of the links enables the chains to Withstand the strains to which they are subjected.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawings, the advantages and attributes of the present invention will no doubt be apparent, without further comment being necessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A fabric embodying strands and cross chains extending across the strands and each embodying slidably connected links, each link being composed of doubled Wire throughout its length having its ends bent into a hook embracing one strand and inclined, the link having a loop at that end opposite to the hook slidably engaging the companion link and movable into engagement by a cam action with the hook of the companion link.

2. A fabric embodying strands and crosstie links resting upon the strands, each link engagement by cam action with the hooks.

of the companion links to prevent the unbending thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GARY B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

OSCAR CRoss, M. E. HANNA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

